During the Jubilee of Digital Missionaries, the “Catholic Mass Times” app surpasses 2 million downloads and brings the faithful closer to the Mass
Catholic Mass Times app has surpassed 2 million downloads worldwide, becoming the top app for locating Catholic churches and Mass times. The app aligns with the Church's call to evangelize digitally, as emphasized by Pope Francis. Launched in 2014 by Pablo Licheri, the app aims to use technology to facilitate access to Mass and enhance spiritual growth. The app is available in 9 languages and provides information on Mass, Confession, and Adoration times. The app's goal is to reach 10 million users by 2028 through improvements and content expansion.
10 days ago
The "Catholic Mass Times" application has surpassed 2 million downloads globally, establishing itself as the leading platform for locating Catholic churches and their Mass schedules worldwide 1 2. This achievement coincides with the Jubilee of Digital Missionaries and Catholic Influencers, highlighting the Church's growing presence in the digital sphere 1.
The app was launched in 2014 by Argentine systems engineer Pablo Licheri, who conceived the idea after a spiritual retreat, driven by a desire to use new technologies to foster faith and facilitate access to the Eucharist 1 2. Licheri emphasized the app's mission to put technology at the service of the Gospel, aligning with Pope Francis's call to be "good Samaritans" in the digital environment 1. The project is entirely lay-led and was initially financed by Licheri and his wife, without corporate backing or advertising 1 2.
"Catholic Mass Times" is available in nine languages and provides information on Mass, Confession, and Adoration times for over 125,000 churches across all countries 1 2. The app's extensive database is maintained through the active collaboration of over 75,000 committed users who submit corrections and local schedules, leading to more than 7,000 updates monthly 1 2. This user-driven approach was crucial, especially given that 70% of the world's 3,000 dioceses lack an official website, making direct contact challenging 2. The app even includes unique entries, such as the single Mass available at the Italian consulate in the Maldives, a country where public practice of non-Islamic religions is prohibited 2.
The application is free, ad-free, and features a simple, intuitive interface, making it an indispensable tool for travelers or those relocating 1 2. Users can search for Masses by location, time, language, or type of celebration 1. Beyond its primary function, the app offers a pastoral and formative dimension through a weekly newsletter on faith, devotions, and Eucharistic reflections, which reaches over 52,000 subscribers 1 2.
The team behind "Catholic Mass Times" has set an ambitious goal to reach 10 million users by 2028 1. This expansion will involve improving the user experience, further enlarging the database, and enhancing new formative content 1. The app exemplifies how digital missionaries can achieve global reach, demonstrating that the Gospel can be accessed and lived with just a click 1.
How does the Church evangelize through digital means?
The Catholic Church actively evangelizes through digital means, recognizing the profound impact of modern communication technologies on society. This engagement is rooted in the Church's mission to proclaim the Gospel to all nations and adapt its methods to the cultural contexts of each age .
The Church views the use of social communication media as a duty and an inherent right in fulfilling its mission of salvation . Pope Paul VI emphasized that the Church would "feel guilty before the Lord if she did not utilize these powerful means that human skill is daily rendering more perfect" . These means offer a modern and effective way to proclaim the message "from the housetops" and reach millions of people .
Pope John Paul II identified the world of communications as the "first Areopagus of the modern age," a cultural center where the Gospel must be proclaimed, much like St. Paul preached in Athens . He noted that mass media have become primary sources of information, education, and guidance, especially for younger generations . Therefore, evangelization in the digital age requires not just using media to spread the Christian message, but integrating that message into the "new culture" created by modern communications, which involves new languages, techniques, and psychology .
The Church leverages digital means in several ways:
While embracing digital means, the Church acknowledges the challenge of ensuring that the evangelical message, while reaching vast numbers, also "pierces the conscience of each individual, of implanting itself in his heart as though he were the only person being addressed" . The mode of presentation must suit the specific nature of the medium, and the quality of digital presentations must be high . The Church's involvement in mass media is not merely to strengthen preaching but to integrate the Gospel message into the new culture created by modern communications, addressing the "tragedy of our time" – the split between the Gospel and culture .